The ETSI Technical Committee on Cybersecurity (TC CYBER) has released the first globally applicable cyber security standard for consumer Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The standards, ETSI TS 103 645, establishes a security baseline for internet-connected consumer products and provide a basis for future IoT certification schemes.

As more devices in the home connect to the internet, the cyber security of IoT is becoming a growing concern. ETSI’s new specification, TS 103 645, addresses this issue and specifies high-level provisions for the security of internet-connected consumer devices and their associated services. 

The standard requires implementers to forgo the use of universal default passwords, which have been the source of many security issues. It also requires implementation of a vulnerability disclosure policy to allow security researchers and others to report security issues. As many IoT devices and services process and store personal data, this specification can help ensure that these are compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The European Commission has adopted new rules stepping up the deployment of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) on Europe’s roads.

The new technology will allow vehicles to ‘talk' to each other, to the road infrastructure, and to other road users – for instance about dangerous situations, road works and the timing of traffic lights, making road transport safer, cleaner and more efficient. The new rules are in line with the proposals on clean mobility introduced by the Juncker Commission, are a further step for modernising the European mobility sector, preparing it for climate neutrality in the second half of the century and contributing to the EU's long-term goal of moving close to zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 ("Vision Zero").

The Commission has announced an investment programme worth over €10 billion for low-carbon technologies in several sectors to boost their global competitiveness.

EU innovative climate action has a range of benefits for the health and prosperity of Europeans with an immediate, tangible impact on people’s lives – from the creation of local green jobs and growth, to energy-efficient homes with a reduced energy bill, cleaner air, more efficient public transport systems in cities, and secure supplies of energy and other resources.

The Commission aims to launch the first call for proposals under the Innovation Fund already in 2020, followed by regular calls until 2030. The Innovation Fund will pool together resources amounting to around €10 billion, depending on the carbon price. At least 450 million allowances from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) Directive will be sold on the carbon market in the period 2020-2030. The revenues of these sales depend on the carbon price, which is currently around EUR 20.

ETSI's Technical Committee on Cybersecurity (TC CYBER) has released a new specification to help secure sensitive data in virtualized environments. ETSI TS 103 457 tackles the challenge of secure storage - where organizations need to protect customer data when using a cloud that is not under their direct control.

The new specification TS 103 457 standardizes an interface between a "secure vault" that is trusted and a cloud that could be anywhere, where such sensitive data is stored in the vault. This allows a sensitive function to exist in a lower security environment, with data held securely. The interface can also be used to search databases that hold private data. Another feature defined in the specification is a logging function that allows queries of customer data to be audited, making it easier to detect data breaches, which in turn deters malicious activity.

The ETSI Industry Specification Group for cross-cutting Context Information Management (ISG CIM) has released its main specification GS CIM 009 for Next Generation Service Interfaces (NGSI)-LD API, particularly targeting smart city applications and government services (use cases available in GR CIM 002).

The new specification defines a simple way to send or request data, using a serialization format (JSON-LD) which is very familiar to many developers so that rapid adoption is facilitated. The important feature is that data and its context such as the meaning, relationships, source or licensing of that data, etc. are transmitted together. The approach can directly re-use work on matching terminology for things and services which is ongoing in multinational collaboration with many standards organizations. Interworking of NGSI-LD with the existing oneM2M platform and standards is already partially possible and will be refined further in future releases.

The Commission has released €750 million of funding for key European energy infrastructure projects with major cross-border benefits. Supporting the construction of necessary infrastructure, contributes to the Commission's energy policy priorities of improving energy security, whilst giving consumers more choice, and spurring economic growth and jobs. These interconnections are also essential for renewable energy sources to thrive and make Europe world number one in renewable energy.

A fully interconnected European network is one of the key preconditions to deliver the ultimate goal of the Energy Union, i.e. to ensure secure, affordable and sustainable energy, which has been one of the top political priorities of the Juncker Commission throughout the mandate. The completion of a fully interconnected Internal Energy Market, will allow a cost-efficient decarbonisation of the energy mix by favouring a better integration of intermittent renewable energy and contributing to deliver collectively the EU targets of at least 32% for the share of renewable energy consumed as well of the at least 40% domestic reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2030 compared to 1990, in line with our international commitments under the Paris agreement.